Good News to Share: Marian Regional Medical Center Staff Deliver Boxes of Fresh Vegetables to Medically Vulnerable Pediatric Families

Deliveries to Guadalupe and Santa Maria provide fresh produce to families in need during COVID-19 pandemic

SANTA MARIA, CA – April 15, 2020 – Members of Marian Regional Medical Center’s Medically Vulnerable Pediatric (MVP) Coordination Program have been busy filling an essential need in the local community with deliveries of fresh produce to families with at-risk children in Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria. Because these families have infants or children with special medical needs in the home, they are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. MVP staff collaborated with Talley Family Farms, who have donated the fresh vegetables to provide for these families to assist with meeting basic needs. 

“Our outreach to this medically vulnerable population is continuous, but because so many of these families care for high-risk children, we want to alleviate some of the burden on them during this critical time,” says MVP Program Manager, Susan Rasmussen. “Through our community partnerships, the Santa Barbara County Foodbank, and the generosity of Talley Family Farms, we are able to help reduce some of the difficulty of this pandemic and provide healthier and more positive outcomes for these families.”

The MVP program is free, and families can be referred to the program by their health care provider. Marian Regional Medical Center staff support these families at their homes, providing essential resources and care to ensure they thrive.

[Photo: MVP Program staff deliver vegetable boxes donated by the Talley Family Farms]

 

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About Marian Regional Medical Center
Marian Regional Medical Center is a technologically advanced, 191-bed facility that provides safe, quality care.  Marian has been a recipient of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence and was also named among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care by Healthgrades. Marian is designated a STEMI Receiving Center in Santa Barbara County, and is designated a Level III Trauma Center by Santa Barbara County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency. The facility has achieved prestigious designation as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission for advanced, comprehensive care for stroke patients. Our cancer care program is accredited as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, and received the Outstanding Achievement Award. The campus houses a comprehensive perinatology/ neonatology program, providing specialized care to the tiniest of patients.